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Kevin O’Connell envisions a 3-man defensive front for the Vikings​

Posted by Mike Florio on February 18, 2022, 12:01 PM EST

The Vikings have used a base 4-3 defense for a long, long time. That’s going to be changing.

Asked during his introductory press conference whether the Vikings will use a three-man defensive front, new head coach Kevin O’Connell said that, indeed, the team will.

“I think from a base standpoint you can look at it that way,” O’Connell said. “But I think somebody threw out the stat to me the other day, with everybody really living in 11 personnel [one running back, one tight end] nowadays, I think depending on the defense you talk to, 81 percent of the time they’re in nickel defense, which essentially is just a 4-3 with a nickel in the game instead of — a fifth DB, I should say, in the game instead of a third linebacker. A lot of times a big thing . . . is being multiple with your fronts because I know as an offensive coach if we know where you’re going to be, we know where you’re going to line up, that makes it pretty easy at least to design things to attack angles, understand how you want to run the ball, how you want to protect, but when you’re changing that picture and forcing opponents to deal with multiple fronts during a game, during a drive in some cases, that can be a real weapon for a defense, pairing that with some really good things on the back end, that’s kind of what we’re hunting.”

So it’ll be a 3-man base, but with multiple fronts aimed at keeping the offense guessing.

That makes sense on the surface, but the challenge comes from having the right personnel in place. If the defense will be fundamentally changing, some players currently on the team may not fit. And the Vikings would then need to find other players who are better skilled to running the defense.

The best coaching happens when the systems take advantage of the things the available players can do. Forcing a square peg into a round hole becomes a recipe for a bad defense. If the Vikings aren’t careful about the transition they plan to make, that’s precisely what they will have.
 
Hunter to be traded. Barr FINALLY gets to play in the role hes most suited for.
 

Vikings announce five assistants, including Wes Phillips, Matt Daniels​

Posted by Charean Williams on February 21, 2022, 6:21 PM EST

The Vikings announced the additions of five new coaches, making official the hirings of Wes Phillips as offensive coordinator and Matt Daniels as special teams coordinator.

Minnesota also hired Daronte Jones to coach the defensive backs, Ben Kotwica as assistant special teams coach and Mike Smith as outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist.

Phillips, 43, spent the past three seasons with new Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell with the Rams as the tight ends coach. Phillips added passing game coordinator duties in 2021.

Phillips began his NFL career in Dallas as the Cowboys’ quality control/offensive assistant coach from 2007-10 under his father, Wade Phillips.

Daniels was with the Rams in 2018-19 as assistant special teams coach before going to Dallas in the same role the past two seasons, following John Fassel.

Jones coached Minnesota’s defensive backs in 2020 before his hire as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

Kotwica spent seven seasons with the Jets, including five as assistant special teams coach. He was special teams coordinator with the Commanders from 2014-18 and with the Falcons in 2019-20.

Smith reunites with Mike Pettine in Minnesota. Smith worked as outside linebackers coach for the Packers the past three seasons, with Pettine there in 2019-20. Smith also has spent time with the Jets, Chiefs and Texas Tech.
 

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Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Irv Smith is "right on schedule" with his recovery from meniscus surgery.​

Smith went under the knife on September 1st, right before the 2021 season. Smith is a sneaky candidate to be in the back of the TE1 discussion if he is healthy for camp. The Vikings lost Tyler Conklin in free agency and the only returning tight end they have is Ben Ellefson, who managed just 81 offensive snaps in 2021. Smith is participating in the team's voluntary workouts this morning as well.
 

Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports that the Vikings are not expected to pick up Garrett Bradbury's fifth-year option for 2023.​

The cost would be $13 million. Bradbury has been one of the worst pass-protecting centers in the NFL per PFF's grading for years, and notched a career-high 43.7 pass block rating in 2021. Bradbury has been better blocking for the run, but the Vikings could look at centers in Thursday's draft to try to find a long-term solution to the position.
 
A11dAtP0w3R said:

Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports that the Vikings are not expected to pick up Garrett Bradbury's fifth-year option for 2023.​

The cost would be $13 million. Bradbury has been one of the worst pass-protecting centers in the NFL per PFF's grading for years, and notched a career-high 43.7 pass block rating in 2021. Bradbury has been better blocking for the run, but the Vikings could look at centers in Thursday's draft to try to find a long-term solution to the position.
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No surprise there - Bradbury has underwhelmed in his career so far and was replaced in the line-up by journeyman Mason Cole at times last season. Bradbury, and other player drafted in the first round, are one of the reasons that Rick Spielman was let go at the end of last season.
 
Sven said:
No surprise there - Bradbury has underwhelmed in his career so far and was replaced in the line-up by journeyman Mason Cole at times last season. Bradbury, and other player drafted in the first round, are one of the reasons that Rick Spielman was let go at the end of last season.
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Panthers will give him a 5 year deal like that did Kalil. 👍
 

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The consensus amongst Vikings scribes is that the Vikings will take Stingley, Hamilton or Williams if any are available at pick 12, otherwise a trade down is on the cards. Given Kwesi is a Browns acolyte I would expect a trade down.

If it was me making the pick I’d add Malik Willis to the mix @12 as well.

l‘m hoping the Vikings don’t take Drake London (too much of a Treadwell clone for me)……….
 
Eagan, Minn. (April 30, 2022) – The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms with nine rookies who went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS:
PLAYER POS. COLLEGE
Mike Brown.......................... S........................ Miami (OH)
Thomas Hennigan............. WR............. Appalachian State
Bryant Koback................... RB.............................. Toledo
Zach McCloud.................. OLB................................ Miami
Josh Sokol........................... C..................... Sacred Heart
Tyarise Stevenson.............. DT................................. Tulsa
Tré Turner........................ WR..................... Virginia Tech
Luiji Vilain........................ OLB...................... Wake Forest
Ryan Wright......................... P.............................. Tulane
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